Can opener



A. ZIDOVEC C :AN OPENER Filed July 3, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,4 rrfrs.

Dec. 16, 1924.

A. ZIDOVEC CAN OPENER Filed July 3, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m\ WAK d @mvxlN\ mum VVE/V717@ A. Z/DVEC Afina-4 Patented Dee. l5, i924.

AUGUST ZIDOVEC, O'F SAN }Mi1ikli|`ll.j CALIFORNIA.

Application filed July 3, 1922.

T0 all whom 'it 17mg/ concern.' y

Be it known that I, AUGUST Zrnovnc, a citizen of the United States7residing at San Rafael, in the county of Marin and State of California.have invented new and useful Improvements in Can @pene-rs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in can openers and resides in theprovision of a simple,.compact, strong and easily operable can openerwhich is constructed so that it may be easily and cheaply manufactured.

One of the `objects of the invention is to provide in aca/n opener ofthe character described which includes Crossed pivoted handles operatingsimilarly to! pliers and takes into consideration novel means forarranging a spring so as to normally force the handles apart, the saidspring means being concealed and combined with the pivoted means for thehandles in a novel and effective manner.

The invention further consists in the particular combination,inter-relation and association of certain parts and elements thereofwith a purpose of generally improving the construction and operation ofcan opening devices whereby a clean and smooth cutting action may beeasily effected.

The invention possesses other advantages and features some of which,with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the followingdescription where I shall outline in full that form of the inventionwhich' l have selected for illustration in the drawings 'accompanyingand forming a part of the present specification. ln said drawings l haveshown one form of the construction of my invention, but it is to beunderstood that l do not limit myself to such form since the inventionas expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l represents a top plan viewof -a can opener construct-ed inaccordance with my invention, a part thereof beingbroken away for thesake of clearness of construction.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the can opener 'broken away and sectionedat the pivot point for thek purpose of illustrating the concealed springand pivot arrangement,

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the can .ope-ner.

CAN OPENER.

Serial No. 572,371.

Fig. 4 represents a plan view of a blank of which the guide member andknife support are formed.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of said member and knife support as whenstamped into shape.

Fig. 6 is a view of said member taken at rightangles to Fig. 5. n

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the detail shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Figs. 8 and 8 are views in side elevation and top plan of the can gripmembers.

Figs. 9 and 91 are views in side elevation and top plan of the knife.

Fig. 10 is a top plan View ofthe spring.

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are detail sectional views of spring housing andpivot arrangements of modified forms.

Fig. 14: is a front elevation members as when in use.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary plan view of the opener as when in use.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate crossed handles which arepreferably made of light sheet material and are shaped sol as to providecomfortable grip portions. rl`he handles are pivoted adjacent certainends as at 3 and one handle carries a knife 4 whereas the other isprovided with a jaw 5 adapted to engage a can during the cuttingoperation.

rlhe handles are normally forced apart by spring means forming a part ofthe invention, which meansis incorporated with the pivot 3. rlhe handle1 is provided with a circular apertured boss 6 pressed out from itsinner side and said boss constitutes asocket member. The handle 2 isprovided with a circular tubular projection T which extends through theaperture of the boss 6 and is bent outwardly laterally, at its outer endto provide a retaining flange 8. rllhe member i" thus engaged in theapertured boss 6 provides for a strong and efficient pivot connectionbetween the handles. The shape of the boss 6 and member 7 is suchr thatthere is provided an annularv chamber 9 between the crossed portions ofthe two handles. A coiled spring 10 is mounted in this annular chamber 9and its ends engage in recesses 11 prod vided in the sides of thechamber 9 in the respective handles l and 2, This spring is of the cangrip 12, is a. flat knife supporting and guidemem:

ber 13, which is preferably formed of one piece of material and upon itsunder side is vprovided with a depending arcuate guide flange 14adapted'toengage the outer side of a can during the cutting operation.The

knife is detachably secured to a vertically lrecessed extension member15 which projectsA upwardly from the member 13 and receivesh the knifein its recess. lAhead 16 is provided on the upper end ofthe extension-land is .engaged by the upper end of the knife. The knife; is pointed'von its lower end andhas its cutting edgeV located on thelinner side oredge thereof.Y By placing; the pointed" end on the top of the can nearthe bead and pushing downwardly on theheadn16, the pointedy endwillpuncture thecan, and'the cuttingedge on the side of the knife will be disposed in position` to cut the can top. Cooperating with thefian'gell: is a shorter and smaller flangeA 17 which is carried on themember 13`o'pposite the flange 14C-and arranged to extendover the canltop and enga-ge the inner side of the bead of the can. l

.The jaw 5 is provid'edwith means adapted to grip the'o-uter' side ofthecan so that themember 13 with the knife thereonwill bemovedo'r pulledVforwardly and effecta cutting action when the handles are pressed'togethenj Thegripping'` members 1'8" are so arrange d" that' thebevelledends thereof are in' staggered relation whereby both bevellededgswillcont'act with'the outer side ofthe can and grip the latter so?`as to hold'the jaw 5 against slipping while the; member 13" ispulledtowardsvthe jaw 5.' This means comprises gripping members 18 toand dependii'ig from the under side of" the handle 11 and" havingcomparatively vsharp kbeve-lied ends 19,' which ends" are adapted tobind against'the can.` 0n onerendo'f'the jaw 5` there is providedlupstafndin'g` lia-nge 21 adapted to be engage'djby ai re;- silient hooki member-' 22 u carriedI -on the; outer' endo'f the member 13';VVVh'enthis hookfnieni` Figs; ifa-111112, the handlesgl and 2 are-held'@lse togetherV against the action" or the spring;ALs/anl'additionalmeans for holding the. handles r closed, the' handle 1is pro-vided with a` projection 23' adjacent tothe" members19yarranged't'o engage behind the'guide flange@ 17 when the member 13 isswungin'to positiony suchthat the 'hvo`ok2'21 may be .caused tesnaptoventhe end"L of the-flange 21,

'point against the can.

f opener.

v of' the.Y handle?" 31i To operate the device, the handles are movedapart y substantially intol position shown in Fig. 15 and the point ofthe knife is placed on the top ofthe can and near the upstanding orbeaded edge of the latter. By

Jressinfr downwardl on the other member tends over the top` ofthebead'.` B'y raising the handles and closing them" together,` the handle1 will be moved so as topullthe member l13 with thek knifeV thereon,for! wardly andtowards: the jaw 5, whichla-tter n is maderstationarydueto-[the grip o-f'the ypivot edges 2O of the members118` with theVcan;A When the handles.aremoved` together they are. again expanded and a,fresh grip taken with the'members-19}a-t an advanced v y This operationis continued until the top of the can is com# pl'etely out."Duetothe'arr'angement of the mem'ber13 when the handles/are Aclosedtogether, the pull onl the knife issubstantially at right-angles to the'adjacent end of the handle to which it is attached andi'n this way aneffective cutting action is proy'fided; The' spring housed 'in the pivotarrangement will force the handles apartfof its ownac @ofertan-Sfacilitating the Operation 'of the As shown in Fig. 4:, theme1nber 13may be formed' of a single blankl o-f metal,l stamped and bent intoshape to provide sev eral separate elements, shown-in Figs. 5fand` 6; yY In Figs 11, 12'Qand'13, there are shown modified forms' ofipivotfa-ndspring housing construction. ln`Fig.' 11, the handlesy 25 andl26"airejoin'ed bfy a' common pivot member 27' inthe 'form of ai rivetand are providedw'ith oi'itwardly pressed annular grooves'28 which formahousing for the spring,not shown` each of the' groovesbeing'providedjwith an oif-seltportion 229i to facilitate the" anchorr`ing o-'f the 'eidsiofthespringg f A VIn Fig. 12,V the handles' 3d and 31are' joined by a tubular'projection32 foilm'edinte'gral with' and,struckout' from one side The?. projection passes through' anf4 opening Ainthel handle `j and is theirl bentontwardlyas" at 34' sothat it isheld"iripla'c'elv In formingthe projection. 32,' the handle 30 is`ci'lrved;so" that there is provided anv annular portion 35 in= whichthe' spring, not shown",l may' be hitnused.V

In Fig. 13,'. the` handles 36- and" are provided with apertured pivotpin bosssff''" as: particularly o surrounded by annular depressions 3f)which combined form the chamber for the spring. This construction may beprovided by stamping each handle in a similar manner.

As particularly shown in Fig. 14C, the gripping members 19 are inclinedor bevelled so that the lower portion of the sharpened edge projectsoutwardly at a gr'eate distance than the upper portion. This will causethe sharp or bevelled edge to project under the edge or bead of the canand prevent the tendency of the gripping members to slip upwardly.

As shown in Fig. 5, the flange 14e is inwardly off-set or bevelled atits upper por tion opposite the bead of the can, as at 40. By havingthis portion bevelled or inwardly olf-set the flange clears the bead ofthe can. When the gripper members 10 engage the bead of thewcan, seriesof nicks or rough places are provided which if engaged by the flange 14-would interfere with the smooth operation of the cutting. |The bevellingof the flange 14 thus prevents the engagement of the flange with thenicks on the bead and renders the cutting operation much more reliable.and smooth. Another point of advantage is that the knife is providedwith a barb or shoulder l1 which will prevent slipping of the knife outof cutting position during the cutting operation. An additional featureis that the 'flange 21 will abut the adjacent side of the handle 2 whenthe handles are closed and serve as a stop to prevent movement of thehandles into position such as will distort or place a strain upon theparts of the device.

The flange ist provides a shoulder or bevelled off-set, which shoulderserves to prevent slipping of the flange upwardly off of the can.

l claim:

l. A can opener comprising crossed pivoted handles, a can grippingmember on one of said handles, a knife supporting member pivoted on theother handle, a guide flange on the knife supporting member arranged toengage the outer side of a can near the upper end of the can, a knifecarried by the supporting member, said flange being arcuate and arrangedto avoid engagement with that part of the can subject to engagement bythe gripping member and another guide flange on the supporting memberarranged to engage the inner side of the upper bead of the can.

Q. A can opener comprising crossed handles, one of said handles havingan apertured socket, an integral projection on the other handleextending through the socket and bent back to provide a pivotalconnection. said last named handle having an annular groove registeringwith the socket and a spring surrounding the projection and engaged inthe socket and groove.

3. A can' opener comprising crossed handles, one of said handles havingan apertured socket, an integral projection on the other handleextending through the socket and bent back to provide a pivotalconnection, said last named handle having an annular groove registeringwith the socket and a spring surrounding the projection and engaged inthe socket and groove, said socket and groove having off-set recesses inwhich the ends of the spring engage.

l. A. can opener comprising crossed pivoted handles, a knife supportingmember pivoted to one handle, a knife on said member, acan gripping lugdepending from the other handle at a point near but spaced inwardly fromone end thereof and arranged to engage the outer side of the bead at theupper end of the can, said lug having its gripping edge beveled andinwardly inclined from its lower to its upper edge.

5. A can opener comprising handles operatively associated with oneanother, a can gripping member on one of the handles, a knife supportingmember on the other handle, a guide flange on the knife supportingmember arranged to enga-ge the outer side of a can near the upper end ofthe latter and a knife carried by the supporting member, said flangeengaging the can beneath the bead and constructed to avoid contact withthat part of the can which is subject to engagement by the grippingmember.

6. A. can opener comprising handles pivoted to one another between theirends, a can opening knife support pivoted on one of the handles, a cangripping member on the other of the handles, a knife carried by saidsupport, a projection on the second named handle, a hook on the knifesupport arranged to engage said projection to hold the handles in closedposition and spring means normally forcing said handles apart againstthe action of which said hook holds the handles.

7. A can opener comprising handles pivoted to one another between theirends, a can gripping member on one of the handles, a knife supportpivoted on the other han die, a knife carried by said support, a guideflange on said support arranged to extend over the top and engage theinner side of the upstanding bead on a can and a guide flange on thesupport adapted to engage the outer side of a can adjacent the bead.

8. A can opener comprising handles pivoted to one another between theirends, acan gripping member on one of the handles, a knife supportpivoted on the other handle, a knife carried by said support, a guideflange on said support arranged to extend over the top and engage theinner side of the upstanding bead on a can, a guide flange on thesupport adapted to engage the outer side of a can adjacent the bead anda proj eetion onI the; first namedfi hand-lei' adapted to? engzigeithfe' first' named i lingeE Wii'en-` the hundlesare in cloeedpositionu9. Aean fopener'i'compri'sing han-'diesfpivotedto one* another betweentheir@ ends',v a cuttersupportedonhone of' thelfan'dles, aciin'fvgrippingmemberl onI the other handle, flanges:extendngblongitudinally. on the Vojo'- K posedledfgeso-portonsothehandlswhiicti exten'dfrom thev pivot toward the adjacent l0 eiifds,ywhehange'si arel arranged to abut and limit the movement ofthe handles inlone direction and meaifis.Y on one of the` handies adapted to'l hookAover and retin the are in abutting position.

AUeUS/rjv zIDoVEo.

